A plant just for biofuel production? Purdue seeks it

3:35 PM,
Sep. 29, 2012

Biochemistry professor Clint Chapple.

Written by

Eric Weddle
eweddle@jconline.com

A Purdue University team has received a $5.2 million grant to develop a new type of plant that could be used to create biofuels directly.

Their aim is to force a molecule in the plant that creates an useable biomass to instead create phenylethanol, a combustible biofuel. Clint Chapple, a biochemistry professor who is leading the research, said a biofuel that could then be blended with gasoline could be produced much more easily.

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding the five-year project. Chapple said so far in biofuel production, the focus has been getting sugars out of cell walls and using ...